Shifting device for type-writing machines.



N0.8s1,ssv. PATENTBDsEPT.18,19os.

J.' B. SKEBN &J'. M. GRAFTON.

SIHIITING DEVICEIOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.,

lAPPLIGATIQN FILED Ancha. i905.

` 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. TH: NaRRl: PETERS co.. VgsH/NGTQN, D. c.

Ilm-831,337. l Y I PAT'NTED SEPT. 18, 1906.

` `J. B.'SKEBN & J. M. GRAFTON. SHIITING DEVICEPOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLIoATIoN FILED AUG.9. 1905. l

2 sHBETssHBET 2.

C C1 0 5; a )I d l, di. l 3.4 -G l A f5 l ffl 3 M11/.x0 @4 I 7c!!- g Iig,

A from/E rs 1HE Nomals PsrERs a., wAsmNaraN. D. c.

` be of any desired character.

" the attachment on an enlarged Scale.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`.IFLSSF R. SKFFN AND JOHN M. GRAFTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SHIFTING DEVICE FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

` Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

of which the following is afull, clear, and eX- 5 act description. Our invention relates to a device to be applied to those type-writing machines which have a single keyboard requiring the operating of one ormore shifting-levers in order to provide for printing the upper and lower case Ordinarily these shifting-levers are manipulated by the left hand, which acl tion necessarily destroys the utility of that hand to a certain extent, especially in statement work or work where there are frequent Q changes from figures to letters or other char" Characters.

acters.

chines on an equal footing in this respect with those having double keyboards, so that they may still retain their superior advantages in certain other respects over those machines which-have a. separate key for each character. In order to accomplish this result and secure other advantages which will appear below, we provide machines of this character with a device for operating the shifting-levers by a simple movement of the knee o the operator, thereby leaving the left hand free for manipulating the keys and Securing these advantages at very small eX- pense and with very little addition to the o perating parts of the machine.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of a typewriting machine with our improvement ap` plied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the same, Shfwing *i 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figi.; 2, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. y

We have represented a type-writing machine a, mounted upon a table b, which may The machine may be of any of the usual types-as, for eX- ample, the Oliver--and is provided with a pair of shift-levers c and c. We provide the shift-levers with a pair of hooks d and d or with any desired means for operating upon them to manipulate them in the usual Inanner. These hooks are connected,`by means of flexible connections e and e', with a lever These flexible connections pass through, openin S b in thetable b, and these openings or per 'orations form practically the only modification that has to be made of the table, desk, or other supporting means for the machine. After passing through these perforations the flexible connections pass over pulleys g and thence along a curved or segmental surfacef of the lever f. These fleXible connections extend in opposite directions from the center of the lever orof this curved surface and pass through openings f2 near the two ends of said surface. Setscrews h are provided for securing these conn I Vnections at Vany desired position in these The principal obj ect of this invention is to overcome this difficulty and place such ma-l openings. lThe lever f is mounted on a pivot k, which is preferably at the center of the curve forming the Surface f', and below this pivot the lever is provided with a curved lower surface f3, adapted to engage the knee of the operator and fit above it. This curved surface is provided with depending portions f4 for engaging the sides of the knee, so as to insure that a Inotion of the knee to the right or left will swing the lever about its pivot and operate the desired one of the connections c and e to depress the proper shifting-lever. The pivot k is preferably in the form of a stud passing through the lever and also passing through a frame m. This frame is provided with a boss m for receiving the stud and also for receiving the lever f. The frame is provided also with flanges m2, between whichis received a bracket o, secured to the ybottom of the table and depending therefrom. This bracket is provided with a slot o', and a screw p passes through this slot into a Screwthreaded opening in the frame m. This screw'also passes through an opening in a p sliding plate g, mounted on the back of the bracket o. It will be seen that by loosening the screw 9 the frame m andslide q can be raised or owered in accordance with the height of the table, so that the curved surface y f3 will come in the proper position toreceive th'e knee of the operator, and when this is properly adjusted the screws h are loosened and the connections eand e drawn to a proper position to operate the shifting-levers.

` tween theshifalevers of the 'machineand'the Q By the use' f a device constructed upon the principle illustrated above, Whether of the form shown or in any other form falling within the scope of the appended claims, 'we secure several advanta es. Among' others may be mentioned the act that when used in connection with the class of machines mentioned above it will increase the capacity fully twenty-five per cent. in estimate and statement work. It lessens the probability of mistakes by striking thewron keys, as therboard is left entirely unobstruc ed by the shifting operation. It more evenly distributes the workl of the' typefwriter o erator, it bringing the knee into action an relieving theleft hand of the extra duty of shifting the carriage. Consequently more work and work of a better character can be done in a given time and with less effort than has heretoforebeen the case. .Also the touch.7 sys# tem of writing, which is exceedingly diicult with ,machines having double shifts, where such levers must be worked by hand, can be efficiently used with the assistance of this device.. The Iattachment is exceedingly simple and is easily applied vand adjusted, the only change in the table or vmachine being the drilling of two small holes through the topof the type-writer stand for the passage of 'thel cords e and e and the application of the hooks l cf ,the shifting-levers. l

Having thus described our invention, we

.as new and desire to 'secure by Lettersl Patenta- A 1. A device for operating the shift-levers .Oftype-Iwriting machines, 'comprising a lever havinga curved lower surface for receiving ythe knee ofthe operator, and connections beadjacent sides of the'upper surface ofthe lev', .whereby movement of the lever in one direction operate one'of lthe shift-levers, and aymovementdn the opposite direction will operate the other shift-lever.

f2. lAi device for operating vthe shift-'levers of atype-writing machine, comprising 'a lever located below lthe 4machine and having a curved'lower surface forreceiving the knee of the operator, said lever being pivoted at a point above said curved surface, and connections betweentlhe shift-levers of the machine and theV adjacent sides ofthe .upper surfaceof the lever, whereby'moveme'nt ofthe lever in one direction'will operateone of the shift-levers/and a movement'in the, opposite direction will operate the othershift-lever.

3. AA device'for operating the shift-levers of ya type-writing machine, comprising a pivoted lever having af lower surface adaptedto rreceive thekne'e lof an operator, an upper '.curved surface drawn from thepivot of .the

"` lever as a center, andi'iiexible connections secured to the lever at the sides of said upper curved surface and connected with the shiftlevers.

4. In an attachment for type-writing machines, the combination of a lever having a curved surface, a' pair of iiexible connections secured each at one end of said curved surface, means for guiding said connections along the curved surface, and means for connecting the connections with the shift-levers of the type-writing machine, said connections passing normally over the curved surface at the center thereof when said surface is in neutral position. Y

5. An attachmenty for type-writing machines provided with a plurality of shiftkeys, comprising a pivoted lever, flexible connections between the shift-levers of the machine and the opposite sides of the lever, and means for adjusting the length of said connections.

6. An attachment for type-writing machines provided with a plurality of shiftkey's, comprising a ivoted lever, flexible con'- nections between t e shift-levers of the type'- writing machine and the opposite sides of the lever, means for adjusting the length of said connections, and means for adjustably mounting said lever.

c 7. In an yattachment for type-writing machines, the combination of a pivoted member, a pair of flexible connections, means for adjustably securing said connections to the lever, means 'for connecting said connections with the shift-levers of the type-writing machine, and means for adjustably 'mounting said lever, said means comprising a 'bracket having a slot, a 'frame 'slidable along the IOO lbracket and having means fory supporting vthe lever and means rfor securing yt'he frame 'to the bracket at any desired position in said slot.

8. The combination with 'a 'type-writing machine having shift-levers, of a hook-connected 'with'each shiftleve'r, a iexible co'nnection attached 'to each hook and `passing downwardly 'therefrom and outwardly tfrom each o'therat a point lbelow the machine, and a lever lto which said connectionsa're secured, said lever beingpivoted ata oint'tbelow said connections and being provil ed with a curved surface for -receiving the llower'ends of *said connections, said curved surface bein concentric with'thedpivotal point and sai' lever also being rovi, ed with a lowerv curved'V surface and epending projectionsadapted 'to receive the 'knee of an operator.

In't'estimony whereofwehave signed our names to'thisspecificationin thepresencel of 120 two subscribing witnesses.l v

JESSE 'B.`SKEEN.\ JOHN M. GRAFTGN.

Witnesses: a

K'ITTIE GREENOUGH, F. H. GREENUGH. 

